Posts Tagged ‘state capitol in review’

LITTLE ROCK – The state of Arkansas has won a judgment at the trial court level against a major pharmaceutical manufacturer and its subsidiary, winning a judgment of $1.2 billion for the state’s Medicaid fund. The drug manufacturer is Johnson and Johnson and its subsidiary is Janssen Pharmaceutica. They are expected to appeal the fine, which was ordered by a Pulaski County circuit judge. The attorney general, representing the state of Arkansas, filed the suit in 2007. The trial lasted two weeks. A jury of six men and six women deliberated for about three hours before issuing a verdict saying the pharmaceutical companies committed Medicaid fraud and used deceptive trade practices by hiding the negative side effects of a drug commonly prescribed for people with mental disorders. The potential side effects of the drug are diabetes, hormonal changes that affect the sexual development of children, increased likelihood of strokes in elderly people and excessive weight gain in users of all ages. Jurors were asked to determine whether the company’s labeling accurately disclosed its possible side effects. The jurors were also asked to determine if a letter to Arkansas physicians about the drug was deceptive. The drug manufacturer has a mixed …